The Executive of Lincolnshire County Council is scheduled to meet on 2 December 2025 to discuss the Lincolnshire County Council's Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy, and to review the council's financial performance. Councillors will also note changes to the revenue budget and capital programme which have been made under delegated powers.

Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy

The Executive will receive a report about the new Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy 2025–2028, and will be asked to recommend that the County Council formally approves it.

Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 places a statutory duty on local authorities to consider the impact of their decisions and actions on crime and disorder, including anti-social behaviour, substance misuse, and reoffending.

The report states that the strategy:

ensures that crime prevention is embedded across all council functions, promoting safer communities and reducing harm. It applies to all departments and services, and supports our wider commitment to public protection, safeguarding, and community wellbeing.

The strategy sets out five objectives:

• Ensuring all council services consider the impact of their work on crime and disorder
• Promoting proactive measures to prevent crime, anti-social behaviour, and exploitation
• Strengthening multi-agency collaboration to address complex risks and vulnerabilities
• Equipping staff with the knowledge and tools to fulfil their Section 17 responsibilities
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of crime prevention across the authority

The report also notes the central role that the Community Safety team plays in delivering Lincolnshire County Council's Section 17 duties, coordinating multi-agency responses and spearheading initiatives that actively reduce crime, tackle anti-social behaviour, and address the fear of crime across communities.

The report states that each directorate has been involved in the development of this strategy, and that individuals from Place, Resources, Adult Community Care and Wellbeing, Fire and Rescue and Children's Services have all been involved, as well as board managers from the Domestic Abuse Partnership, Safeguarding children's partnership, safeguarding adults board and Safer Lincolnshire Partnership.

The report notes that there remain important opportunities for further development, particularly in enhancing the Council's approach to monitoring and evaluating its impact and ensuring robust compliance with its Section 17 responsibilities. It also notes that there is a need to strengthen training and awareness so that both staff and elected members fully understand their roles in supporting this statutory duty.

To support this work, it is proposed that an internal working group be established, comprising of nominated officers from each directorate. A coordinated organisational action plan will be developed and delivered over the next three years, led by the Community Safety service area.

Review of Financial Performance

The Executive will receive a report setting out a summary of financial performance for quarter 2 of 2025/26.

The report is scheduled to include:

• The forecast revenue outturn position for council budgets, which is a forecast underspend of £6.4m, and a £5.6m improvement from quarter one.
• The forecast outturn position for schools revenue budgets, which is a forecast overspend of £25.8m, and a £6.1m deterioration from quarter one.
• The forecast capital outturn position in year and for the full life of the programme, with a series of cost pressures reported.
• Identification and explanation of variances within the Council's revenue budget and capital programme.
• A brief update on financial planning matters, in advance of the provisional settlement and the Council publishing its budget proposal for 2026/27.
• An updated reserve statement, which incorporates forecast use including for the Development Fund which is also reported separately.
• Changes that have been made to revenue and capital budgets during quarter two under delegated powers and a request to approve a budget reallocation in quarter three.

The report notes that at the end of quarter two, the Council is forecasting an underspend of £6.4m in general fund budgets, and a £25.8m overspend in school budgets, which is kept separate from the general fund in accordance with the statutory override in place until March 2028.

The report states that there are overspends in Adult Care, Children's Services, Fire and Resources, with a moderate underspend in Place.

The report notes that there are significant financial pressures on schools funding, primarily driven by a forecast overspend of £26m within the High Needs block¹. Previous overspends have been mitigated using Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) reserves; however, a balance of only £0.484m is available in 2025/26. The report projects that the Council will enter a DSG deficit by the end of 2025/26, resulting in a negative reserve balance.

During 2025/26, the Council planned to invest £294m on the County's major assets, particularly road schemes and schools. The summary capital forecast for net investment as of quarter two is an underspend of £13.6m against the net budget.

The Council maintains a 10-year capital programme (2025/26 2034/35), within which there is investment of £779.2m planned. As of quarter two, there is a forecast overspend of £37.7m against the net budget, due to variances on several major schemes.

The report notes that in Children's Services, there is a £7.3m underspend on SEMH Schools Expanding provision. In Place, there are forecast overspends on Grantham Southern Relief Road (£38.4m) and North Hykeham Relief Road (£14.0m).

The report also provides an update on financial planning matters for 2026/27, considering the key factors that will influence the 2026/27 budget proposal including the upcoming Local Government finance policy statement and provisional settlement, Autumn Budget and cost base review.

Budget Reallocation

The Executive will be asked to approve a policy budget reallocation to reallocate £6.786m from the pay policy contingency element of Other Budgets into IMT to fund one-off revenue costs relating to the new strategic technology partner contract.